Outdoor Classics

This Friday, the Rangers will play against the Florida Panthers in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida.

The contest will be the Rangers’ sixth all-time outdoor game, and they have won each of the previous five outdoor games in which they have played. The Blueshirts are the only NHL team that has won five outdoor games in league history. As anticipation and excitement builds for the sixth all-time outdoor game in franchise history, here is a recap of the first five contests.

January 2, 2012 (2012 NHL Winter Classic) – Rangers defeated Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia

The Rangers’ first all-time regular season outdoor game was against their division rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, at Citizens Bank Park (the home of MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies) in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic. The anticipation for puck drop was extended by two hours due to the temperature and glare from the sun, and once the game started, the energy was palpable from start to finish.

The Flyers scored the first two goals of the game, taking a 2-0 lead with 5:39 remaining in the second period. Thirty seconds after Philadelphia’s second goal, Rangers forward Mike Rupp scored his second goal of the 2011-12 season and celebrating the goal by imitating the “salute” goal celebration of Flyers forward (and former Rangers forward) Jaromir Jagr.

Less than three minutes into the third period, Rupp scored his second goal of the game to tie the contest, and Brad Richards followed Rupp’s goal with one of his own at 5:21 of the period to give the Rangers their first lead of the game.

As the Rangers attempted to hold the lead and win the game, the Flyers’ Daniel Briere was awarded a penalty shot with 19.6 seconds remaining in regulation. With all of the 46,967 people in attendance standing, Henrik Lundqvist denied Briere from scoring on the penalty shot, and in dramatic fashion, helped the Rangers emerge with a 3-2 victory.

January 26, 2014 (2014 NHL Stadium Series) – Rangers defeated New Jersey Devils, 7-3, at Yankee Stadium

During the 2013-14 season, the Rangers played two outdoor games at Yankee Stadium in front of a crowd that surpassed 50,000 people as part of the NHL’s slate of Stadium Series contests. The Rangers’ first contest was a Sunday afternoon game against the New Jersey Devils.

As was the case for the 2012 NHL Winter Classic, the start of the game was delayed due to the weather. Unlike the Rangers’ first outdoor game, however, goals were scored quickly and frequently once the game began.

New Jersey took a 3-1 lead with just under four minutes to play in the first period. Less than one minute after the Devils took their two-goal lead, Marc Staal scored for the Rangers to cut their deficit to one heading into the first intermission. Mats Zuccarello tied the game for the Rangers early in the second period and scored another goal nearly 10 minutes later to put the Blueshirts ahead.

Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash each scored a goal before the end of the second period to give the Rangers a 6-3 lead and chase Martin Brodeur from the net, and Derek Stepan capped off the win with a penalty shot goal against Cory Schneider midway through the third period.

January 29, 2014 (2014 NHL Stadium Series) – Rangers defeated New York Islanders, 2-1, at Yankee Stadium

With a 7:45 p.m. start time and a game-time temperature of 22^o Fahrenheit, the flow of the Rangers’ game against the Islanders was different than their game against the Devils three days prior.

The Islanders’ Brock Nelson opened the scoring with 1:27 remaining in the second period, but the Rangers tied the contest 40 seconds later on a goal from Benoit Pouliot. Less than five minutes into the third period, the Rangers received a goal from an unlikely source, as Daniel Carcillo retrieved the rebound from a Dominic Moore shot and beat Evgeni Nabokov to put the Blueshirts ahead, 2-1.

Carcillo’s goal proved to be the game-winner, as Lundqvist, who finished with 30 saves, prevented the Islanders from tying the contest.

January 1, 2018 (2018 NHL Winter Classic) – Rangers defeated Buffalo Sabres, 3-2 (OT), at Citi Field

The Rangers’ most recent outdoor game took place on a Monday afternoon on New Year’s Day at Citi Field, as the Blueshirts faced the Buffalo Sabres. With the game-time temperature at a brisk 21^o Fahrenheit, the Rangers were hot from the start, as Paul Carey and Michael Grabner each scored goals within the first half of the first period to give the team a 2-0 lead.

The Sabres scored a goal in the opening minute of both the second period and the third period to tie the game, and once the game was tied in the third period, neither Lundqvist nor the Sabres’ Robin Lehner allowed a goal for the remainder of regulation. Lundqvist, in particular, had to be sharp down the stretch to keep the game tied, as he stopped Zemgus Girgensons’ shot from in between the circles with 2:15 remaining in the period.

In overtime, the Rangers found themselves with a power play opportunity. With the man advantage, J.T. Miller scored on the game-winning goal on a rebound chance from in front of the net.

February 18, 2024 (2024 NHL Stadium Series) – Rangers defeated New York Islanders, 6-5 (OT), at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey

The Rangers had a strong start to the contest, opening the scoring less than two minutes into the game. The Islanders, however, scored three goals in the first period and then added a goal 63 seconds into the second period to take a 4-1 lead.

Vincent Trocheck scored twice before the second period ended, cutting the Rangers’ deficit to one heading into the final 20 minutes of regulation. The Islanders scored a goal early in the third period to extend their lead to two, and with less than five minutes remaining in the third period, they still held a 5-3 lead.

The Rangers led the NHL with 28 comeback wins in 2023-24, including 14 in the third period, and they also had the NHL’s third-best power play during the season. Their power play prowess and resiliency played a role in making the 2024 Stadium Series a memorable one. With Igor Shesterkin pulled for an extra attacker, and with two power play opportunities late in the game, the Rangers scored twice to tie the game, 5-5.

The contest would be decided in overtime, and 10 seconds into the extra session, the Rangers’ No. 10 ended the game. Artemi Panarin forced a turnover in the Islanders’ zone and ended the contest, as his shot trickled over the goal line to give the Rangers an ending that was fitting of an outdoor classic.